Boston Restaurant Talk

Monday, May 18, 2015

Xinh Xinh in Chinatown Is Closing; May Open in New Location

A highly-rated Vietnamese restaurant in Boston's Chinatown that is known in part as being an industry favorite is shutting down, and it looks like its closure stems from a conflict with the landlord.

Eater Boston is reporting that Xinh Xinh is saying farewell to its home on Beach Street on May 26, saying in a Facebook note that "Due to irreconcilable differences with the landlord, we have been forced to move out of our current location in Chinatown and relocate." The note also thanks its customers for their support, patronage, and friendship over the years, and tells people to stay tuned for an announcement of a new location for the eatery.

Xinh Xinh, which has been in business for approximately a decade, offers authentic Vietnamese fare at reasonable prices and has received high marks for its food over the years. One restaurant critic--MC Slim JB--once said in an article for the now-defunct Boston Phoenix, "Xinh Xinh delivers my favorite Vietnamese-restaurant experience in town."

The address for Xinh Xinh is 7 Beach Street, Boston, MA, 02111.

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[New article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Twelve Food Items from Asian Restaurants in the Boston Area]

Mollie Maguire's Pub in Weymouth Has Closed

It looks like an Irish pub on the South Shore has closed after being in business for approximately a year.

According to a reader, Mollie Maguire's Pub in Weymouth is shuttered, with a "closed" sign being posted out front apparently since early last week. Multiple phone calls have been placed to the dining and drinking spot (including during normal operating hours), with all going to voicemail and the note saying that the mailbox is full. Mollie Maguire's first opened last spring in the old Union Chowder House space on Union Street in South Weymouth, offering breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily and featuring such items as an Irish breakfast, clam chowder, beef stew, boiled dinner, and shepherd's pie.

The address for Mollie Maguire's is 26 Union Street, South Weymouth, MA, 02190.

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

Stone Hearth Pizza in Hingham Has Closed

Last month we reported that a local group of pizza spots had closed another one of its locations. Now we have learned that yet another shop has shut down.

Based on a post on Twitter from over the weekend, Stone Hearth Pizza at the Shipyard in Hingham is no longer in operation, joining the closure of its Needham location in April and its Winchester location in January. (The Needham space is now home to Hearth Pizzeria, which was opened by someone involved with Stone Hearth.) A response by Stone Hearth on Twitter indicates that its shops in Allston, Belmont, and Cambridge remain open for business.

The address for this now-closed pizza spot in Hingham was: Stone Hearth Pizza, 19 Shipyard Drive, Hingham, MA, 02043. The website for Stone Hearth can be found at http://hearthpizzeria.com/

[Earlier Articles]
Stone Hearth Pizza in Needham Has Closed; Hearth Pizzeria Replaces It
Stone Hearth Pizza in Winchester Has Closed

Follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston

[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

Friday, May 15, 2015

Chill On Park Opens in Dorchester's Fields Corner

A brand new ice cream and coffee shop has come to Dorchester.

According to an article from BostInno, Chill on Park opens today in the Fields Corner neighborhood, moving into an 1,100-square-foot space (with seating for 19) on Park Street. The post says that 32 flavors of ice cream are offered at the new shop, along with coffee, tea, and more, and that the store is staffed by members of The Boys & Girls Club of Dorchester.

For now, Chill Park is open from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM seven days a week, though it may be open until 9:00 PM starting after Memorial Day.

The address for this new ice cream and coffee shop in Fields Corner is: Chill on Park, 142 Park Street, Boston, MA, 02122. Its Twitter page can be found at https://twitter.com/chillonpark

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[Note: Please join the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook Group Page to get more info on dining spots and also chat with others about Boston-area restaurants.]

Tilted Kilt Is Opening in Copperfield's Space in Boston's Fenway

[Ed note: This article was updated on September 9 and 22 to reflect a location given for the upcoming spot.]

Three years ago, we reported that a small chain of Celtic-themed sports bars tried to open a location in Quincy, only to have the city reject it because it was too close to a church. Now we have learned that the chain is trying again, this time opening one that will likely attract more than a few baseball fans.

The Boston Herald states that the Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery is planning to open next to Fenway Park in Boston, with its exact location being unknown as of now because a still-operating business is currently in the space. The article says that construction is expected to begin in June, with the 225-seat dining and drinking spot possibly opening sometime this fall. The Tilted Kilt attempted to open in Quincy back in 2012, but the pastor of the nearby St. John the Baptist Church denounced the proposal and the city ultimately said no to the place.

A second location of the bar is also coming to Billerica in the fall, according to the Herald. [Ed note--now open.]

The Tilted Kilt, which started out in Las Vegas, is known for its female servers who dress in revealing Scottish-style outfits (it is often known as the "Scottish Hooters," according to the article, and is also sometimes called a "breastaurant"). Its website can be found at http://www.tiltedkilt.com/

[September 9 update: A source tells us that the Tilted Kilt is planning to move into the space on Brookline Avenue where Copperfield's currently resides, though little else is known at this point in time. (We reached out to the Tilted Kilt for more information and are waiting to hear back from them.)]

[September 22 update: Another source--this one within the restaurant industry--has confirmed that the Tilted Kilt will indeed be moving into the Copperfield's space, with Copperfield's apparently closing sometime this fall.]

[November 4 update: Universal Hub indicates that plans to bring the Tilted Kilt to the Fenway took a bit of a hit today with The Fenway Civic Association and City Councilor Josh Zakim both opposing the proposed sports pub. The Boston Licensing Board still needs to make its decision on the restaurant, with a meeting taking place tomorrow.]

[November 5 update: A new post from Universal Hub states that the city has approved of the plans for the Tilted Kilts to open in the Copperfield's space.]

[January 29, 2017 update: A job post within the Craigslist site indicates that the Tilted Kilt is finally getting close to debuting (the listing says that "The kitchen is in the process of getting ready to open"), and that it is now hiring.]

[February 20, 2017 update: Eater Boston mentions that the Tilted Kilt is now open in the Fenway.]

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

T.T. the Bear's Place in Cambridge to Close for Good July 25

[Ed note: This article was updated on May 18 to reflect confirmation that the place is closing.]

It looks like the days are numbered for a legendary Cambridge music club that has been around for more than 25 years.

According to several credible sources, T.T. the Bear's Place on Brookline Street is apparently closing, with two of the sources indicating that this is definite. A note sent to the club this week was read but not answered, while a note sent to The Middle East club--which owns the building in which T.T. resides--was answered simply with a "No Comment." The chatter is that T.T. the Bear's could be closing in July, and a check on the events page for the club shows that the calendar of events does stop at the end of that month. An article from Vanyaland gives more information, saying that the club will reportedly close this summer and that some type of last-minute deal on the space between the owners of The Middle East and the owner of the former ManRay nightclub in Central Square didn't work out.

Earlier it had been reported here that The Middle East had purchased the building in which it and T.T. the Bear's are housed, with possible plans being to add several floors of residential space above the ground floor; it is not known whether this is still on the table, and if it is, whether this has something to do with the possibility of T.T.'s closing.

[May 16 update: The Boston Globe is reporting that the end appears near for T.T. the Bear's, as Joseph Sater, who is co-owner of the building, says of T.T.'s owner Bonney Bouley, "I don't want to put words in her mouth, but she just doesn't want to do it anymore....She's saying she'll be out by the end of July."]

[May 18 update: A new post from Vanyaland indicates that July 25 will be the last night for T.T. the Bear's.]

[June 9 update: A new article in The Boston Globe mentions (via a Facebook event page) that T.T. the Bear's is having what is basically an indoor "yard sale" on Saturday, June 20 from 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM, with the club selling off a variety of memorabilia/bric-a-brac such as old posters, beer taps, chairs, signs, dishes, and more.]

[July 12 update: Vanyaland mentions that the last week for T.T. the Bear's will be a "blowout" week, with such acts as Evan Dando of the Lemonheads, O Positive, the Neighborhoods, Scruffy The Cat, and others on the way.]

T.T. the Bear's Place first started out in the late 1980s, featuring countless local, national, and international acts over the years, featuring indie rock, punk, pop, jazz, electronica, funk, and much more.

The address for T.T. the Bear's is 10 Brookline Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139. Its website can be found at http://www.ttthebears.com/

[Earlier Article]
Owners of Middle East in Cambridge's Central Square Purchase Building

Follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston

[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]